As a concealed-handgun permit holder, I support the new concealed-carry regulation, but I am asking for a hearing on allowing for the open carry of handguns in State Forests.  This would bring State Forests into compliance with a formal opinion (08-043) published in September 2008 by the Virginia Attorney General.
 

If a threat presents itself, a firearm carried openly is much more easily and quickly brought into use against the threat, than a firearm carried concealed.  Additionally, if a potential criminal perpetrator sees firearms openly carried, this would be a deterrent to follow-thru of a criminal act. Because open-carry is the rule rather than the exception throughout most of the Commonwealth of Virginia, those areas such as state parks, that are not in conformity to the rule, should be brought into compliance as quickly as practical.